Section 144 imposed in Srinagar day after NIA cracks down on separatist leaders over terror funding

Srinagar: Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday imposed restrictions in parts of Srinagar to prevent separatist-called protests against the arrest made in a terror funding case. Separatist leaders — Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umer Farooq — who had called for the shutdown were placed under house arrest in Srinagar, while Yasin Malik was lodged in the Srinagar Central Jail. [caption id=“attachment_3457974” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File Image of Syed Ali Shah Geelani. AFP[/caption] The District Magistrate has ordered restrictions under section 144 of the CrPC in the old city area including Rainawari, Khanyar, Nowhatta, MR Gunj and Safa Kadal. Public transport, shops, other businesses and educational institutions remained closed in Srinagar and other district headquarters in the valley. Private transport and some three-wheelers were, however, seen moving in uptown and the city outskirts. Contingents of police and the Central Reserve Police Force in riot gear disallowed vehicular and pedestrian movement in all the areas where restrictions were imposed. The protest shutdown was called after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested several separatist leaders in the terror funding case on Monday. The arrested include Altaf Ahmad Shah, son-in-law of Geelani, and Ayaz Akbar, spokesman of the Geelani-led Hurriyat group. The other arrested separatists include Nayeem Khan, Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bitta Karate, Shahid-ul-Islam, political aide of Umer Farooq, Peer Saifullah and Mehrajuddin Kalwal.